Danny Phantom
by Frodo01228
Summary: Who am I? You sure you want to know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale, if somebody told you I was your average ordinary guy, not a care in the world, somebody lied.
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: While I don't own either Danny Phantom or Spiderman, I do think both of them are really cute and wish I owned them. (sighs dramatically)_**

**_A quick note: Someone made a trailer for Danny Phantom using the Spiderman trailer. I watched it and the sequel, and now I'm hooked on writing this story. I know, I know. I haven't even finished The Ghost Princess, but I'm afraid my muse for that story has gone on vacation, and she's a very tough little cookie to track down. But this one bit me in the butt and won't let go. And his teeth are really sharp too… Tucker, Sam, and Danny are kind of OOC in this one. Just to warn you. I mean, they've got to fill in for Peter, Harry, and Mary-Jane. That's not exactly the easiest job in the world to do._**

**_P.S. Finally Fanfiction let's me put up documents! Sheesh..._**

**_Summary: _**Who am I? You sure you want to know? The story of my life is not for the faint of heart. If somebody said it was a happy little tale, if somebody told you I was your average ordinary guy, not a care in the world, somebody lied.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Amity Park Laboratory**

_Every tale worth telling is always about a girl. Everyone knows that. Mine is no different. The girl in my story is Samantha Manson, the girl next door. With her silky raven hair and lilac eyes, I fell in love with her before I even liked girls. I'd like to tell you that the guy sitting next to her on the bus right now is me, but it's not. That's Dash Baxter, her boyfriend. I'd even take the fat guy in front of them chewing on the donut, but that's not me either._

Every person on the bus leaned over to look out the window as a hand reached up and pounded on it. "Hey, stop the bus!" a masculine voice shouted.

A young man with nerdy glasses was running beside the bus, raven hair getting in his crystal blue eyes. He was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt with a red collar and red oval in the center. He wasn't short like most guys still making their way through high school, but he definitely wasn't very popular. He'd made the well-known mistake of studying too much and partying too little.

_That's me..._

"Stop the bus!" Sam said, standing and making her way toward the front of the bus. Some guys tried to look up her black mini skirt as she passed, but purple tights prevented them from seeing anything. "He's been chasing us since third street," she reminded the bus driver. He sighed and pulled over, and Sam went back to her seat.

Danny stumbled into the bus once the doors were open. "I'm sorry I'm late. I—" He stopped as a ball of paper smacked him in the head.

"Sit down," the bus driver muttered, moving back into the Amity Park traffic.

Danny made his way down the aisle looking for a seat. Not even the other geeks would sit next to him. He looked over at Sam who was happily snuggled with her boyfriend. She didn't even seem to notice him. Someone's foot stuck out, and Danny tripped, falling hard on the floor of the bus. He sighed, propping his head on his hand. He guessed this was his seat on the bus for the day.

"Casper High Seniors, remember that we are guests in this science lab so behave accordingly," Lancer said. "Let's not have a repeat of the museum, shall we?" He raised an eyebrow and snatched a bean bag ball from the air as it passed in front of him, glaring at the student that had thrown it.

Danny followed the class into the lab then stopped and turned as someone called his name. "Hey, Tuck'."

"Tucker!"

They both turned as the man walked up to him. "Forgetting something?" He handed Tucker his backpack.

"Oh, thanks." He turned to his friend. "Danny, this is my uncle, Vlad Masters."

"Hi, I've heard a lot about you," Vlad said, shaking Danny's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir. I've read all your research on creating a portal that lets you sse the Ghost World."

"And you understood it?" Vlad looked impressed as Danny nodded.

"Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Fenton and Mr. Foley, move!" Lancer shouted from the entrance to the lab.

"I'm glad to have met you, sir!" Danny said, waving as he and Tucker ran to catch up. "He didn't seem so bad."

"Yeah, not if you're a genius. I think he wants to adopt you," Tucker joked, making both boys laugh.

"There are twenty-two thousand known different types of ghosts," the tour guide said, leading the classroom toward a few caged ghosts. She motioned to one of them. "This ghost has the ability to turn invisible at will." The class watched in awe as said ghost disappeared. "This one beside it has the ability to phase through solid objects." The ghost phased through the bed in his cell, but he couldn't get through the walls around him.

"This is incredible," Danny whispered to Tucker. "Do you know that this museum has the largest collection of ghosts in the world?"

"Danny, what makes you even _think_ I'm interested in that?" Tucker muttered, playinig with his PDA.

"Who wouldn't be?"

Tucker rolled his eyes and followed after the rest of the class. He glanced at Danny then at Sam. "Can we talk to her now?"

"Are you kidding?" Danny asked. "You talk to her."

"Maybe I will." Tucker moved to stand beside Sam.

"Our scientists here have been working on genetically engineering a ghost with all the abilities each separate ghost has." The tour guide led them over to a different set of cells.

"Disgusting," Sam whispered, peering in at the ghosts.

"Yeah, I hate 'em," Tucker whispered back, leaning in with her.

She glanced at him, smiling. "I love them."

"Uh, yeah, me too."

She suppressed a laugh, turning back to the ghosts.

"Did you know that this lab has the largest collection of ghosts in the world?" Tucker whispered.

"Really?" she whispered back. "Wow."

"These fifteen genetically enhanced super ghosts can walk through walls, disappear and fly. They can do everything that a regular ghost could never do alone."

"Fourteen," Sam corrected, looking up at the tour guide.

"Excuse me?" the woman asked.

"There's fourteen." Sam pointed to the empty cell. "One of them's missing."

"Oh…" The woman peered inside the cage. "The researchers must be working on that one."

"You know, my uncle's working on a new project so we can go into the Ghost World," Tucker whispered to Sam.

She was about to respond when Lancer came up and grabbed Tucker's arm. "You were talking throughout that entire presentation. Perhaps you need to return to the classroom and read about this instead?" Lancer suggested.

With Tucker, Lancer, and Dash out of the way, Danny stepped forward. "Hey," he said to Sam.

She looked up, smiling. "Hey."

He held up his camera. "Can I take your picture? I need one with a student in it?"

"Sure." She moved to stand by the ghost's cells. "Where do you want me? Over here?"

"That's perfect," he said, snapping a picture.

"Don't make me look ugly," she teased.

He smiled. "That's impossible."

He snapped picture after picture as she changed poses. Unfortunately, the moment was interrupted as her friend Valerie called for her.

"Wait," Danny called, but she didn't hear him. "Thanks!" He shuddered as a strange feeling passed over him, never noticing that the missing genetically enhanced super ghost had just passed through him and had accidentally left something behind.

Danny had to ask to be excused early from the field trip when he started feeling sick. He couldn't really explain what was wrong with him. He felt cold, deathly cold, and his vision was fuzzy. He couldn't think straight either. His parents were at the table when he came home.

"You're home early," Maddie said.

"I felt sick," Danny mumbled, tossing his backpack down.

"You want something to eat?" Maddie asked while Jack looked on.

"No, I'm not hungry. I think I'll just lie down for a little bit."

Maddie watched as her son made his way upstairs, shaking her head. "I just don't understand him sometimes."

"That's because he's a boy, honey," Jack said.

Danny pulled off his shirt and threw it aside, staring at the wall. He tossed his glasses onto the bedside table. He stumbled toward the bed, his knees buckled beneath him before he even reached it. He managed to grab a sheet off his bed, and he pulled it around his trembling body before falling into a fitful sleep.

* * *

"Are we done yet?" Vlad asked, tightening a bolt.

"I don't know. It's still not starting up," Damon Gray, his assistant, said.

"All right, I'll take a look inside. Don't touch anything."

Vlad stepped inside the portal, glancing around for any problems. He tripped over a wire, his hand falling onto a panel with two buttons: green and red. The green button was pressed, and Vlad let out a shout of pain as the portal came to life around him, shocking him with electricity and who knew what else.

"Mr. Masters!" Damon hurried to unplug the machine then looked inside. "Mr. Masters, are you all right?" He stepped back as a pair of glowing red eyes gazed back at him from the now dark portal.

"All right?" He chuckled, a deep, evil voice echoing out of the portal. "I'm more than all right." He flew toward the man, throwing him into the wall and killing him. "I've never felt so alive!" Then he spun around and disappeared with a flash.

* * *

Danny woke with a start, breathing hard. He stood slowly, the sheet slipping to the floor. He rubbed his eyes, grabbing his glasses off the night stand, but when he slipped them on, his vision became fuzzy. He blinked and pulled them off, looking at them, then slipped them back on. Still the same result.

"Okay…" He set them aside then glanced at the mirror.

He did a double-take. His unclad chest revealed muscles that hadn't been there before. He flexed his arms then absently rubbed his chest. He looked out the window as music reached his ears. Sam was standing in front of her window brushing out her hair.

"Okay," he said again, grinning.

He grabbed a shirt then leapt down the stairs two at a time, jumping to the bottom.

"What's gotten into you, little brother?" Jazz asked.

"I thought you were sick," Maddie added.

Danny shrugged. "I got better." He grabbed a piece of toast of Jazz's plate and picked up his backpack from beside the door.

"Hey, don't forget we're painting the kitchen today!" Jack reminded him as he walked out.

"I won't!" Danny called over his shoulder.

He stepped out onto the sidewalk, feeling like he could take on the world. The door to the next house, Sam's house, slammed open, and he could hear a male voice shouting something about worthless women.

"I have to get to school!" Sam yelled back, slamming the door.

She didn't even seem to notice him as she stood staring at the sidewalk, scuffing her shoe against it. She looked up as a car drove up, her depressed mood immediately lifting.

"Hey, Sam, let's go," Valerie said, climbing over Star to get into the backseat.

"Hey, girls!" Sam climbed into the passenger's seat and they drove off, Danny staring after them.

He sighed, but his thoughts were quickly interrupted as the bus drove past him, people calling out to him in mocking voices and laughing. He ran after it, pounding on the side. He gasped and pulled away as his hand went through the bus. He stopped running, staring at his hand in the middle of the road. What the hell was going on?


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

**_A quick note: Maddie and Jack are also going to be OOC along with Sam's parents. Dash, of course, is the same: a big bully with no brains and the hottest girl (according to this side of Danny). Also, I couldn't imagine Tucker and Vlad ever being father and son, so I made them nephew and uncle instead._**

**_Reviews:_** Black.Rope.Walker, LilacOcean, inufan-308, kawaii chibi shun, Red's-Fury, Word Life 316, Divine-Red-Crayon.

**_Sorry if I forgot any names. The reviews were all a jumbled mess in my inbox so I might have deleted them on accident._**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Impressing Sam**

Tucker walked into the study, fully prepared for school. "Vlad!" He ran up to his uncle who was lying on his stomach in the middle of the study. "Vlad, are you okay?"

Vlad groaned then slowly began to rise, rolling over and propping himself up on his elbow. "Wh-what?"

"Have you been lying here all night?"

"Last night?" Vlad looked away with a faraway look in his eyes. "I don't remember," he said, looking back at Tucker.

"Mr. Masters! Mr. Masters!" Tucker helped his uncle up as a feminine voice yelled for him. She threw the doors to the study open, followed closely by the butler.

"I'm sorry, sir. I tried to tell her that she need an appointment," the butler apologized.

"My uncle's not feeling well, you'll have to come by later," Tucker told the woman.

She ignored him. "Mr. Masters, your assistant Damon Gray…"

"What about him?" Vlad demanded.

"He's dead, sir. And the portal's gone."

* * *

Danny ran up to the school just as the bell rang for lunch. He grabbed his tray then sat at a table by himself. He played with the limp fries before looking up as Sam made her way across the cafeteria. He smiled up at her, but she didn't even look his way. He sighed and stared back down at his food. He dropped the fry he just picked up and spun around in his chair, catching Sam as she fell back after sliding in a puddle of juice. He caught her tray in the other hand, catching her food back on it. 

"Wow," she said, looking at him. "Great reflexes." He smiled then helped her back on her feet. "Hey, you have blue eyes. I didn't realize with your glasses." His smile widened as he just stared at her. "Did you get contacts?" He wasn't sure how to answer that so he didn't. "Well, thanks." Then she walked away.

Danny slapped a hand to his forehead then went back to his food. He stopped, staring at his hand that had just gone straight through his tray as he reached for his fork. He pulled back with a yelp, falling back onto the ground on his butt. His tray overturned and went flying, hitting Dash on the back. Danny gulped then ran out of the room as Dash stood, staring after him.

Danny ran up to his locker, fiddling with the combination. His mind was in a total jumble; how had his hand done that twice now? He gasped and whirled around, just barely ducking Dash's blow. It smashed into his locker instead, and Danny ducked under the larger young man's arm and circled around him, looking for some way to escape.

"You think you're funny, huh Fenturd?"

"I don't want to fight you, Dash," Danny said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to fight me either."

Sam emerged from the crowd. "Dash, come on. It was just an accident!" She turned to Tucker who had pushed through the crowd to stand beside her. "Help him, Tuck'!"

Danny ducked as Dash's next blow came at him. He stood then jumped and did a flip in midair as one of Dash's friends Kwan came up behind him. He landed on the ground in a crouch, one hand keeping him balanced on the ground. He stared at the two boys in absolute surprise. He could've sworn he'd felt like he was flying. When did he learn to fight like this?

"Which one?" Tucker asked Sam.

"You're on your own, buddy," Kwan said, running out of the circle of students.

Danny stood once more and ducked as Dash came at him again. He crouched, ducking another blow, and lashed out with a sweeping kick. Dash's feet were knocked out from under him, and he fell on the ground on his back. Danny stood slowly, mouth open. He had just defeated Dash Baxter in front of all these students. He looked over at Sam who stared at him then pushed her way out of the crowd. He frowned then looked back at Dash who was propped up on his elbows, staring at him.

"Damn, Fenton. You _are_ a freak," he muttered.

Danny flinched as Tucker grabbed his shoulder, expecting it to be a teacher or some other school official. "Dude, that was fucking awesome!"

Danny didn't respond, staring down at his hands. Then he ran from the school, not even looking back when Tucker called out his name. He ducked into an alley, breathing hard. He looked at his hands then down at himself as a blue ring appeared at his middle and split in two. One ring moved toward his feet, his jeans transforming into the black pants of a skin-tight jumpsuit, and his tennies were replaced with white boots. The other ring moved toward his head, changing his shirt into the top of the black jumpsuit with a white "D" emblem in the center. There was a white belt at his middle, and white gloves covered his hands. He closed his eyes as the ring passed his face. He opened them again then looked in the side mirror of a nearby vehicle. His hair was white, and his eyes were a brilliant, glowing lime green.

He looked back at his hands then let out a startled cry as he began to float above the ground. Losing his balance, he flipped over, now dangling upside down in midair. He righted himself then hesitantly floated higher. He looked down at the ground, now ten feet below him. He grinned then took to the skies, zipping past traffic lights and street lights, dodging birds and company signs.

"Woohoo!" he shouted, closing his eyes and simply enjoying the feel of the wind blowing through his hair. His joy was soon interrupted, however, as he ran head-long into a wall. "Ouch…" he muttered, floating near the offending wall and rubbing his head.

* * *

He flew home that night, changing back before he reached his house. He walked inside then stopped as he looked at the kitchen. He sighed, walking into the newly painted room. He had completely forgotten. He glanced at the note on the table. 

_Danny, there's some left-over dinner in the oven. Love, Mom._

He sighed then looked up as shouting from the house next door. Sam's dad Jeremy was yelling at her mom Pamela, and she was standing in the room, trying to break up the fight.

"Stop yelling!" Sam shouted before moving out of view toward the back door.

Danny grabbed the trash bag and headed outside. He had just thrown it in the trash can as Sam came running outside.

"Were you listening to that?" she asked, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"No!" he said quickly. "Well, I mean, I heard, but I was just throwing out the garbage."

She sighed. "I guess you can always hear us."

"Everybody shouts."

"Your parents don't."

"They can scream pretty good sometimes," he admitted. He hesitated. "About today with Dash—"

"You really freaked us out," she said, walking toward the fence that separated their yards.

He looked down. "I'm sorry. Is he okay?"

She smiled, rolling her eyes. "He's just glad you didn't give him a black eye for graduation." He nodded, managing a small smile before looking back at the ground. "Where are you headed after graduation?"

He looked up at her, leaning against the fence. "Well… I want to move into the city; maybe get a job as a photographer." This was the longest conversation they had ever share, and he loved just talking to her like this. "I'll probably work my way through college. You?"

"Headed for the city too," she said, nodding. "I can't wait to get out of here. I want to…" She sighed, looking down.

"What?" he asked. She didn't reply, glancing away. "Oh, come on."

"I want to act on stage."

"Really? That's perfect. You're awesome in all the school plays. I cried like a baby when you played Cinderella."

She looked at him, brows raised. "Danny, that was first grade."

"Well, sometimes you just… know people, and you can see what's coming."

"What do you see coming for you?"

He shrugged, smiling. "I don't know, but it's big. It's something I've never felt before."

"And for me?" She stepped closer to the fence, resting her hands on it.

His smile widened. "You're going to light up Broadway."

She laughed a little. "You know, you're taller than you look."

The honking of a car interrupted their conversation, and both of them turned to see Dash parking a car between the two houses before getting out. "Hey, baby, check it out. My parents got it for me for graduation."

She looked back to Danny who was now looking away. "I gotta go."

"Bye." He watched her run away, listening to her compliments on Dash's new wheels. "Cool car," he said.

* * *

Desperate to impress the girl he's loved since he first saw her, Danny began searching the papers for inexpensive cars—and a job too. He found them both on the same page. There was a sport convertible for only $2,598, and beneath the ad for the car was an ad for amateur wrestling, offering $3,000 to the winner. If he could last three minutes in the ring, he could get the money to buy the car. _Colorful characters a must_, the ad said, and Danny knew just what he would use for his "costume." Thoughts of Sam consumed his mind as he spent the next few days practicing his newly found powers. He fired at a soda can with his ghost ray, and the can shot away looking burnt. He fired at the lamp then ducked as the lamp shattered, and pieces flew all around his room. 

"Danny, are you all right?" Maddie asked, knocking on his door.

"I'm just doing a little bit of exercising, Mom," he called through the door. "Don't come in. I'm not dressed."

"You've been acting very strange lately, sweetie."

He blinked. "Um, okay. Thanks."

"Something's bothering him," Jack said. "I don't know. I don't know my own son anymore. I should talk to him."

Maddie nodded, not quite listening to him. Danny walked down the stairs, carrying his backpack. "Hey, I'm going to the downtown library. I'll be back."

"Wait, I'll drive you." Jack stood.

"No, it's okay, Dad. I'll take the train."

"I need the exercise. Go." Jack grabbed his keys and winked at Maddie who merely looked heavenward, shaking her head.

The two were silent on the drive to the library, and once they arrived, Danny moved to get out. "Thanks for the ride, Dad."

"Well, hang on. Let's talk for a bit," Jack said, turning off the car.

"We can talk later."

"We can talk now if you'll let me."

Danny sighed and sat back in his seat. He was never going to get to the wrestling place in time. "What do we have to talk about? Why now?"

"Because we haven't talked in forever. Your mother and I don't even know who you are anymore. You're not doing your chores, you have all those weird experiments in your room, you start fights at school—"

"I didn't start that fight," Danny objected, "I told you that."

"Well, you sure as hell finished it."

"What was I supposed to do? Run away?" Danny crossed his arms, glaring at his dad.

"No, no. You're not supposed to run away. Danny, look, you're changing, I know. I went through the same changes when I was your age."

Danny nearly laughed. "No, not exactly."

"Danny, these are the years when a man becomes what he's going to be for the rest of his life. Just be careful who you change into," Jack warned. Danny actually listened to that, looking down as he thought about that. "This guy Dash Baxter probably deserved what he got, but just because you _can_ beat someone up doesn't mean you _should_. Remember: with great power comes great responsibility."

"Are you afraid that I'm going to turn into some kind of criminal?" Danny asked. "Quit worrying about me. I'm fine. Something's different, I'll figure it out. Stop lecturing me, please."

"I don't mean to lecture, and I don't mean to preach," Jack said. "Bu I am your father, and I care about you."

"Well, stop it," Danny snapped.

Jack looked at his son then nodded, looking back at the steering wheel. "Right." Danny felt bad as soon as the words left his mouth. "I'll pick you up here at ten."

Danny nodded numbly, got out, and Jack drove away. Danny watched until the car was out of sight then turned away from the library and headed for the wrestling arena.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

**_A quick note: Okay, I didn't cry when Uncle Ben died in the original movie, but when I was writing this scene, I nearly did cry. Why is it that things like death are always sadder in writing?_**

**_Reviews:_** inufan-308, Siren of Time, Black.Rope.Walker, Wolfee, Phantom of a Rose, passing4insane, Jenna Dax, dessyweird51, JC, SMALLVILLE23, Red's-Fury.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The Death of Jack Fenton**

Danny walked up the stairs, gazing down at the rink in awe. The place was loud, the people were shouting, and the enemy looked fierce. Danny grinned, eyes narrowing as they flashed green for a moment. He could take him. He slipped into an empty corner and quickly transformed before joining the growing line of wrestlers.

"Next!" the woman shouted, and Danny moved up to the table. She looked him up and down then burst out laughing. "This is no feather-weight division here, small fry. Next!"

"No, sign me up," he said.

She looked back up at him then shrugged. "All right. You do know that the NYWL is not responsible for any injuries you might and probably will," she glanced him up and down again, "receive?"

"Yes."

"Down the hall to the ramp. May God be with you. Next!"

Danny followed her directions and stood patiently. He heard the announcer call out, "Are you ready for them?" The crowd cheered.

"Bone saw is ready," he heard the enemy say into the microphone.

"Will the next victim please enter the arena? If he can spend just three minutes in the rink with Bone Saw, the sum of $3,000 will be paid to—" The microphone cut off, and Danny heard the announcer whisper, "What's your name, kid?"

"Danny the ghost boy," he muttered.

"Aw, that sucks." He turned back to the microphone. "Will be paid to DANNY PHANTOM!"

The partition was raised, and Danny was shoved out into the arena. He walked down the ramp while Bone Saw's girls followed him, flinging insults at him left and right. The last opponent was wheeled by, screaming about his legs. Danny gulped then climbed into the arena. The crowd began to chant, "Kill him! Kill him!" as a cage began to lower around the arena.

"Hey, guys, I didn't agree to a caged match!" Danny said as they locked the corners. "Unlock the thing! Take the chain off!"

"Hey, freakshow!" He turned to face Bone Saw. "I got you for three minutes. You're going nowhere."

The bell went off, and Bone Saw charged at Danny who gasped and flew up on reflex. Bone Saw ran into the side of the cage. Danny floated over the rink, staring down at Bone Saw who was rubbing his nose.

"What are you doing up there?" Bone Saw shouted, pointing at the floating young man.

"Staying a way from you. That's a cute outfit. Did your husband pick it out for you?"

Bone Saw growled and leapt up to try and grab Danny who simply flipped out of reach and landed in a crouch on the ground. He shot up again as Bone Saw ran at him, flipping over the professional wrestler's head.

"Finish him off!" one of his women shouted and handed him a chair.

Danny turned his head only to have a chair slammed into the side of his face. He fell to the ground, groaning and tried to get back up. Bone Saw slammed the chair into his back. Danny got up on his hands and knees, sighing, then grunted and fell sprawled on the ground as the chair connected with his back once more. Bone Saw hit him with the chair one more time then threw it aside, picking the ghost boy up and slamming him against the side of the cage.

"Kick his ghostly ass!" one of the women shouted, handing Bone Saw a cane.

Danny stared wide-eyed as Bone Saw came at him then kicked out, hitting the wrestler in the chest. He kicked out again and again, alternating between his chest and his face. Bone Saw staggered back then came at him again, roaring and raising the cane. Danny let out a yell and pushed out with both feet, catching the wrestler in the chest and flipping him over his head. He slammed into the side of the cage, dropping to the ground.

Danny stood, shaking his head and running a hand through his white hair before looking at his opponent. Bone Saw didn't get up as the referee called out three seconds. "Give it up, people for the new champion: DANNY PHANTOM!" the announcer shouted, holding up one of Danny's arms.

Danny looked around him as the people chanted his newly received wrestling name then raised his other arm, laughing.

He stood in the office later for his money. The owner set down two hundred-dollar bills then began counting the rest in his hand. While Danny took the two bills given him, he waited for the rest too.

The owner looked at him. "Now, get out of here."

Danny glanced at the money in his hand. "The ad said $3,000."

"Yes, three grand for three minutes, and you pinned him in two. For that, I give you two hundred."

"I need that money," Danny growled, green eyes flashing dangerously.

The owner leaned his elbows on his desk, glaring at the young man before him. "I missed the part where that's my problem."

Danny took a few deep breaths to calm himself down then walked out of the office, brushing past a man that entered after him. He pushed the button on the elevator, returning to human form and muttering about the unfairness of it all.

"Hurry up!"

Danny turned at the shout and watched in shock as a silhouette in the glass hit the owner's silhouette. He stepped away from the elevator and watched, uncertain as to what he should do. The elevator door opened but was ignored by the teen that had called for it. The man he'd passed on the way out ran toward him with a gun and bag loaded with the money from tonight's match.

"Stop that guy! He's got my money!" the owner shouted, stumbling out after him.

The armed guard ran after him, and Danny stepped aside from in front of the elevator, letting the man pass. He pressed the button repeatedly before the door finally closed, muttering a "thanks" before it did. The officer slammed his fist against the elevator door before turning to Danny.

"What the hell's the matter with you? You let him go!"

Danny just watched him walk away. The owner walked up holding his head then looked at Danny.

"You could've taken that guy apart! Now he's going to get away with _my_ money."

Danny smirked and said, "I missed the part where that's my problem."

The owner snarled at him then walked away. Danny smiled, feeling pretty pleased with himself, then pressed the button to call the elevator again. He headed for the library once he finally got out of that building, watching as police cars passed him up. He followed them with his eyes then stared curiously at a gathering crowd in front of the library.

"Move away, people. Give us room!" an officer ordered.

"Someone's hurt," the people said. "Someone got shot."

Danny elbowed his way through the crowd, mumbling "excuse me" every once in a while. He reached the front of the crowd, and the police officer tried to push him back. Danny's eyes widened as he stared at the bleeding form of his father lying on the sidewalk.

He fought against the officer. "That's my dad!" He pushed past the officer's arm, kneeling beside his dying dad's side. "Dad?" he whispered, tears stinging his eyes. He turned back to the officer. "What happened?"

"Car jacker. He's been shot. We called the paramedics; they're on their way."

Danny turned back to his dad. "Dad?"

Jack's breath was coming in short pants, but he managed to open his eyes to look at his son. "Danny…" His mouth could barely form the name, his eyes glazed. His smile was lopsided, and his voice was slurred.

Danny could feel tears trailing down his cheeks. "I'm here, Dad," he whispered, grasping his dad's hand.

"Danny," Jack choked out again, his smile turning into a frown as his eyes began to darken. He tried to say something more, but his eyes closed and his body fell limp. He was dead.

Danny couldn't stop the tears that streaked down his cheeks as he buried his face in his dad's unmoving chest, sobbing openly. He dimly heard a police officer say they'd found the shooter, and he stood suddenly, his anger replacing his grief. The crowd didn't even seem to notice as Danny walked quickly from the crowd then began running down a darkened alley, changing to Danny Phantom as he did. He took to the skies, flying faster than he had ever flown before, following after the police cars in pursuit of his father's car where the shooter now tried to escape.

His eyes widened as a wall came into his path, and closed his eyes, unconsciously turning intangible and phasing through the building. He grinned, eyes flashing, before picking up more speed and landing on top of the car. The shooter let out a shout and began firing at the roof. Danny took off, ducking under a bridge, then leapt onto the front of the car, slamming his fist into the windshield. The shooter swerved, unable to see out of the front of the car.

Danny turned and took to the skies again as the car ran into a locked gate in front of an old, abandoned warehouse. The shooter struggled out of the car and ran through the now open gate as the police cars pulled up. He stumbled into the building, holding his gun out and turning around every once in a while. His eyes were wide, and Danny could feel his fear from where he hid in the shadows invisibly. Danny snuck around the room slowly.

"Who's there?" the man shouted, spinning around. Danny didn't reply, and the man shot at the roof.

He moved to run on, but Danny grabbed him and slammed him into the wall before pulling him back by his collar and slamming him into another wall. He slammed the shooter's head into two different windows before throwing the man away from him, causing him to crash into some old crates. The man lashed out with a knife, throwing it at the ghost who leapt onto the wall, crouching on it as though it were regular ground, and out of the knife's way. He smirked as the man stared at him.

He leapt off the wall as the man stumbled over to the window, and Danny went human before approaching him. "Don't hurt me! Just give me a chance! Just give me a chance!" the man cried.

"What about my dad? Did you give him a chance?" Danny shouted before grabbing the man by his collar and lifting him up in the air and into the light

He gasped as he stared at the man's face, recognizing him. He was the man that had stolen the money from the match, and he was the one that he had let escape. Letting that man go had suddenly become his problem. He released the man, stepping back. His blue eyes were wide and hurt as he suddenly realized what he had done. The man laughed, stepping away from the window. He cocked his gun and held it to Danny's head.

"See ya'," he said, finger moving toward the trigger.

Danny grabbed the man's wrist, turning intangible so the bullet went through him. The man cried out as Danny twisted his wrist and broke it. The man backed away from him, panting. He tripped over a stray piping sticking out of the floor and crashed through the window, falling with a scream. He landed on the ground two stories below, dead. Danny didn't feel the satisfaction he thought he would feel; he only felt empty.

A police spotlight glanced over the dead man then up to the window where Danny still stood. "Freeze! We have the place surrounded!"

Danny turned at footsteps, went ghost, then flew invisibly out of the building. The officers ran into the room then looked around. It was empty. They walked over to the window where the police spotlight waited. He was gone.

Danny flew to the highest building in the city and sat upon one of the gargoyles decorating the edging. Tears filled his blue eyes as he sat with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. He buried his face into his knees, shoulders shaking.

He returned home about an hour later, eyes downcast and puffy from crying. Maddie and Jazz both stood from where they sat on the couch by the door and went to the fourth member of their family. He pulled them into a hug as they began to sob, out of relief for his return and grief for Jack's death. Danny held them close and rubbed his mom's back, trying to comfort her as his own tears built up once more. His dad was really gone.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

**_A quick note: This story has been so much fun to write! I can't wait to finish it and start on the second one! Teehee!_**

**_Reviews:_** Lianna, LilacOcean, Phantom of a Rose, dessyweird51, Jenna Dax, inufan-308, darkbunny92, Demo the Bounding Jackalope, Lauren, Red's-Fury.

* * *

**Chapter 4: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility**

_Two months later..._

The speeches were over, the diplomas were given, and nearly every teen tore off their graduation hat and threw it in the air. High school was finally over! They were free… Well, as free as a cat living in a house when it would rather be outside was. Danny had just finished taking a picture with the chess team when Maddie came up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Danny, sweetie, I'm so proud of you," she said before moving aside so Jazz could give her brother a hug.

"You looked so handsome up there!" Jazz said, grinning as Danny made a face.

"Uh, thanks, Jazz. I think…" He turned as someone touched his shoulder.

"I've got good news, Danny," Tucker said. "My uncle rented the place in the city. We're all set."

"You made it." Tucker turned at his uncle's voice, and Vlad stepped closer. "It's not the first time I've been proven wrong." He held out his hand, and nephew and uncle shook hands. "Congratulations."

"Thanks, Vlad."

The man then turned to the teen behind Tucker. "Danny, the science award! That's terrific."

Danny nodded. "Yeah…"

"I know this has been a difficult time for you," Vlad set his hand on Danny's shoulder, **_(Let him go, you greasy, nasty, slimy….) _**"but I want you to try and enjoy this day."

Tucker rolled his eyes and wandered away, managing to catch Sam breaking up with Dash.

"You're like a brother to Tucker," Vlad said. "That makes you family, and if you ever need anything just give me a call." Danny nodded, smiling a little.

* * *

Danny, Maddie, and Jazz returned home about half an hour later. Danny headed for the stairs as soon as he was in the door.

"Danny," he turned as his mom called his name, "can I get you something to eat?"

He smiled weakly. "No thanks." He turned and walked upstairs.

Maddie and Jazz both watched him, and Jazz rubbed her mom's back before walking off into the kitchen. Maddie continued to watch after her little boy, smiling sadly.

Danny sat on his bed, staring up at the darkened sky. Tears trailed down his face, and his shoulders shook as he struggled to control himself. Jazz's footsteps were heard as she moved toward his slightly ajar door. She moved past the door and sat beside her brother, hugging him. He leaned his head on her shoulder, wiping his eyes.

"I missed Dad a lot today," he whispered haltingly.

"I know," Jazz whispered. "I missed him too, but he was there." She kissed the top of her brother's head, ruffling his hair. "He was there."

* * *

That night, after everyone was asleep, Danny got out of bed and transformed into his ghostly half, gazing down at his white-gloved hands. _"With great power comes great responsibility_," his father's voice said in his head. "_Remember that, Danny. Remember that._" Unconsciously, his hands balled into fists as he raised his head to look out at the night sky. He understood what his purpose was and why he had been gifted with these powers.

* * *

Two Asian people hurriedly emptied the cash drawer of their small business on the main street, putting every last cent into the bag the man held out. "Hurry up!" he shouted, waving his gun at them.

He grabbed the bag once the drawer was empty, and his associate kept his rifle on them as he headed out. The other man grabbed a muffin and stuffed it in his pocket before following after his friend. A shadow flew down upon them, firing a strange glowing ray at them from his hand. Their weapons were blasted from their grasp, and they soon found themselves tied up in a glowing green rope made of ectoplasm. A figure threw the bag of money at the owner of the shop who caught it then looked at his wife in shock. A security camera caught only a shadow of something taking off from the front of the store.

That single appearance brought about tons of rumors. An Arabic man claimed that the figure wasn't a man but a bird, building a nest in the fountain in Amity Park. Another woman believed it could be a man or even a woman.

The next appearance of the strange apparition was at a would-be robbery of a jewelry store. The police drove up to the store to find the criminals already tied up in the same glowing green rope, dangling from a nearby lamp post. The jewels were in a bag on the floor. The two officers looked at each other then shrugged.

Some people would catch the figure flying over the city, zipping between buildings and street lights, and sometimes he would disappear into a building only to reappear on the other side. His shouts and whoops of absolute glee could be heard echoing in the alleys. Rumors began spreading about the glowing ray that passed from his hand and the rope he tied up the criminals with. A study had shown that it was ectoplasm, and only ghosts dealt with ectoplasm. Any sign of ectoplasm became his signature, and people knew that Danny Phantom had been there.

A woman was thrown onto the ground, a man kneeling over her with a gun held at her head. He grabbed her purse as she whimpered and didn't fight him. He started looking through her purse then held the gun to her head only to have it shot out of his hand by a Ghost Ray. He looked up in just enough time to see glowing green eyes before he was thrown off the woman and into a wall. The woman picked up her purse to find a note: _Courtesy, Danny Phantom_.

The goth community was in love with him. A dead guy turned ghost that was helping people? It was their kind of hero. Women swooned over him in his skin-tight jumper, and fans wrote a theme song for him. He was an apparition, a figment of people's imaginations; he was a hero.

* * *

A man sat at his desk, reading a copy of the newspaper he was in charge of. "Who is Danny Phantom? He's a criminal, that's who he is." He slammed the newspaper onto his desk revealing an older man with graying hair and beard and watchful, skeptical brown eyes. "A vigilante, a public menace. What's he doing on my front page?"

The secretary buzzed in, and he punched the button on the phone. "Mr. Jameson, your wife is on line one. She needs to know if—"

He picked up the phone then hung it up. A young man walked into the room, adding to the other two already in the room aside from Mr. Jameson himself. "Mr. Jameson, there's a page six problem."

"We have a page one problem. Shut up." He turned back to his main reporter. "Well?"

"He's news."

The young man entered the room again. "Th-they're really important clients. They can't wait."

"They're about to," Mr. Jameson snapped. The young man left again.

"He pulled six people off that subway car," the reporter said.

"Sure, from a wreck he probably caused. Something goes wrong, and this ghostly wacko is there. Look, he's fleeing the scene." Mr. Jameson pointed at the photo. "What's that tell you?"

The secretary knocked on the glass, motioning that his wife was still on line one. Mr. Jameson motioned that she should hang up.

"He's not fleeing. He's probably running off to save someone else," the reporter argued. "He's a hero!"

"Then why doesn't he tell us who he is?"

"She just wants to know which tile you want in the dining room," the secretary said, bursting in and setting coffee on her boss's desk.

"Whichever one's cheaper," he finally answered.

The young man with the page six problem entered again. "Mr. Jameson, we double-booked page six. Macy's and Conway have three quarters of the same page."

Mr. Jameson looked at the man and opened his mouth to answer him just as the reporter began to speak again. "We sold out four printings."

Mr. Jameson turned back to the reporter. "Sold out? Tomorrow morning, Danny Phantom page 1 with a decent picture this time." He pointed at the young man with the page six problem. "Move Conway to page seven."

"There's a problem with page seven."

"Then make it page eight and give them ten percent off. Ah, make it five percent."

"That can't be done—"

"Get out of here," Jameson shouted. The young man left again.

"The problem is, we don't have a decent picture," the reporter said. "Eddie's been on it for weeks. We can barely get a glimpse of him."

"Aw, what? Is he shy?" Jameson asked. "If we can get a picture of Julia Roberts in a thong, we can certainly get a picture of this weirdo." He stood and went to the window. "Put an ad on the front page: Cash money for a picture of Spiderman. He doesn't want to be famous? I'll make him infamous!"

* * *

Sam stormed out of the Moondance Diner, a long, black trench coat covering her waitress outfit. Danny stopped walking as she passed before turning around and running after her.

"Hey!"

"Buzz off," she muttered.

"Hey, Sam!" He caught up with her, tapping her arm to get her attention. "Hey, it's me, Danny."

She stopped, gasping. "Danny, hey!" She laughed, tucking her hair back behind her ear as he moved to stand in front of her. "What are you doing around here?"

"I'm, uh, out begging for a job." He held up the newspaper in his hand. "What about you?"

"I'm heading to an audition."

He smiled. "You're acting now?"

"Yeah, I work steady, and I actually just got off a job."

"That's great, Sam. You're doing it. You're living your dream."

"Hey, flower girl, your drawer was short six dollars! Next time I catch that, I'm taking it out of your check!" a fat man yelled at her from across the street. Danny didn't say anything as Sam ducked her head in shame, trying to ignore him. "Excuse me, Miss Manson, I'm talking to you!"

She turned to answer the man. "Yes, Mr. Ishiyama, I get you. Okay?" **(Does the Principal have a husband? Oh, well, she does now…)**

"It better not happen anymore. Don't roll your eyes at me."

She rolled her eyes as she turned back to Danny, opening her trench coat to reveal her tacky waitress uniform. "Some dream, huh?"

"You have a job. That's nothing to be embarrassed about," he said, smiling lightly.

"Don't tell Tucker."

He blinked, laughing a little. "Don't tell Tucker?"

"I thought you guys were living together. We're going out. He didn't tell you?"

He nodded, his eyes losing some of their sparkle. "Oh, yeah. Right…" He felt betrayed, but he didn't let it show.

"I think he'd think it's low or something, me waiting tables."

"That's not low. You at least have a job. No, Tuck'… He doesn't live on a place I like to call Earth."

She laughed. "No, I guess not." She brushed her hair back from her eyes. "Thanks, Danny. We should catch up sometime." Then she started to walk away.

Danny turned around to watch her. "I'll come by and have some of your Moondance coffee someday, and I won't tell Tucker."

"No, don't tell Tucker," she said, smiling.

"I won't!" he promised. She waved, and he waved back, his smile slipping from his face as she disappeared into the crowd. "I won't tell Tucker…"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

**_A quick note: This chapter's a lot longer than the rest of them. It just kept going and going and going… Okay, and I haven't even seen that commercial in forever. Now I have it stuck in my head. Aurgh! Also, I didn't copy and paste this story from the script. I was actually watching the movie while writing it, so if I wrote Spiderman instead of Danny Phantom, that's why. _**

**_Reviews:_** darkbunny92, Samantha-Girl Scout (hiya Sam ), PotterPhan21, acosta perez jose ramiro, KILLERGRIM23, Esme Kali Phantom, teddygeiger'sinsanecrazyluver, bertie reads heaps, Word Life 316, phantasiashadow (from Chapter 3).

**_Special thanks for pointing out my booboo in Chapter 4 (I'll be fixing it sometime soon ;;):_** Samantha-Girl Scout, PotterPhan21, acosta perez jose ramiro, KILLERGRIM23, Esme Kali Phantom, bertie reads heaps, Word Life 316.

**_Special thanks to_** acosta perez jose ramiro **_for sending in a replacement song for Spiderman's song!_**

**Chapter 5: The World Unity Festival**

Danny walked into the apartment he and Tucker shared, closing the door behind him. Vlad Masters was pacing around the front room talking on the phone with someone. Tucker was sitting boredly at the dining table with his homework, watching his uncle. Vlad raised a hand in greeting to Danny before returning to the phone.

"He's making his weekly inspection," Tucker said, pointing at his uncle with his pencil. "He's spent half of it on the phone." He looked back down at his books. "I'm glad you're here. I could really use your help." He looked up as Danny sighed, gripping the back of one of their dining chairs. "You okay? You look like you got second place in the science fair."

"No, I, uh, I was late for work, and Dr. Conners fired me."

"You were late again?" Tucker burst out, staring at his friend. "Dude, where do you go all the time?"

"Uh, around," Danny said vaguely.

Vlad hung up his phone right then, walking toward the living room. "Danny Fenton, maybe you'll tell me who she is?"

"This girl Tucker's been dating."

"Vlad," Tucker interrupted, shaking his head.

"When do I get to meet her?" Vlad asked, undaunted.

"Vlad!"

"Well, sorry, sir. Tucker hasn't mentioned her." Danny looked at Tucker pointedly who looked up almost guiltily.

"Hey, Danny, you're probably looking for a job now, right? You could help out, Vlad."

Danny shook his head. "No, I appreciate it, but I'll be fine."

"I'll just make a few calls," Vlad said. "It's no problem."

"No, I couldn't accept it, sir. I like to earn what I get. I'll find my own job."

"You want to make it on your own steam." Vlad was impressed. "I respect that."

Tucker looked dejected, sitting alone at the dining table while Danny went into the kitchen and got some orange juice, glancing down at the newspaper in front of him.

"What skills do you have, Fenton?" Vlad asked.

"I was thinking about something in photography," Danny mumbled distractedly, reading the ad on the front page.

The guard removed the lock on the cash truck, preparing to move the money from the truck to the bank. He stopped as a gun suddenly cocked, and he found himself looking down the short barrel of a pistol.

"Hello," the thief said before smacking the man in the side of the head with his gun. The man dropped to the ground unconscious. "Let's go!" he shouted to his companions. "Move it!" They gathered around him with rifles. "Watch the street."

A camera was tied to a nearby street post, facing the crime in place. The flash went off as it snapped a picture, distracting the criminals who pointed their guns at it. A shadow flew at them, passing the camera before pushing two of the men to the ground as he landed, doing a flip to land on his feet. He fired two Ghost Rays at the other two men then spun around as the other man tried to punch him. Danny's hand glowed, charging up for a Ghost Ray, but he simply punched the man instead. The strengthened punch made him fly back into a nearby car, leaving a rather larger dent in the side.

Danny turned to the camera, grinning. "Cheese," he said, then the flash went off as it snapped a few more pictures.

Mr. Jameson flipped through the pictures while Danny stood before his desk, anxiously waiting for a reply. Jameson looked up at the young photographer then back at the photos.

"They're crap." He flipped to another one. "Crap." He looked at another. "Crap." He turned to the last one. "Mega crap." He set them on his desk. "I'll give you two hundred for all of them."

"That seems a little low," Danny said.

Jameson held them out to him. "Take them somewhere else." Danny took his photos and stood, moving to leave. Jameson pressed a button on his phone as it buzzed.

"Sir, your wife said the tile you ordered for the foyer is out of stock," his secretary said.

He picked up the phone. "Tell her we'll just put a rug there." He hung up and turned back to Danny. "Sit down!" He held his hand out for the photos. "Give me that." Danny handed it to him, sitting down. He blinked, a little dazed. "I'll give you three hundred. It's the standard freelance fee." Jameson handed the photo to his reporter. "Tear up page one. Run that photo instead."

"Headline?"

"Danny Phantom, hero or menace? Exclusive Amity Park News photos."

"Menace? But he was protecting that armored car," Danny objected.

"I'm the editor in chief. You take the photos, I'll make up the headlines. Okay? All right? That okay with you?"

Danny blinked. "Yes, sir."

"Goodie." He wrote something down on a piece of paper. "Give this to my secretary, she'll give you your money."

"I'd like a job, sir," Danny said, taking the paper he handed him.

"No job. Freelance. Best thing in the world for a kid your age." He stood, pulling Danny out of his chair and putting an arm around the young man's shoulders as he led him out. "Bring me some more shots of that newspaper selling freak, but I never said you have a job. Meat: I'll send you a nice box of Christmas meat. It's the best I can do." He opened the door and pushed Danny out. "Now, get out of here. Bring me more photos."

Danny stood outside the door for a moment stunned. He shook his head then walked over to the secretary's desk, pulling out the slip of paper. "Hi, he said I should give this to you."

She looked at the paper. "Ah, welcome to the Amity Park News." She wrote out his check and handed it to him.

Vlad stood at the head of a table of business men. "As of today, MasterCorp has surpassed Aerospace as the leading supplier of weaponry to the United States military. In short, ladies and gentlemen of the board, costs are down, revenues are up, and our stock has never been higher." He smiled widely, obviously glad that his business was doing so well.

"It's wonderful news, Vlad. Wonderful. That's the reason we're selling the company," one of the board members said.

Vlad blinked, his smile fading. "What?" His voice was dangerous and commanding.

"Yes, Aerospace is recapitalizing in the wake of the bombing, and they made an offer that we can't refuse."

"And you didn't tell me?" He barely kept a growl out of his voice.

"Well, they certainly don't want a power struggle."

"The deal is off if you come with it," another member said. "We expect your resignation in thirty days."

"You can't do this to me! I started this company! Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed?" he shouted, eyes flashing red, but none of the board members seemed to notice, nor did they care about his outburst. "Max, please," he said, addressing the last board member to have spoken.

"The board is unanimous. We're announcing the sale after the World Unity Festival. I'm sorry." It was an empty apology, the kind of apology that someone said simply to be polite. Max wasn't sorry, and Vlad knew this.

"You're out, Masters," the first board member to have spoken said.

He scowled, breathing hard, looking down at the table. "Am I?" he whispered before looking back to the board member, a slow, evil smile crossing his lips.

"Welcome to MasterCorp's World Unity Day Festival!" the announcer shouted as the crowd cheered. "And now, people here's Ember with her song Remember!" **(No, she's not going to put anyone under her spell in here. I just don't like that Macy Gray person's voice. Yick…)**

_It was, it was September,  
Wind blows, the dead leaves fall,  
To you, I did surrender,  
Two weeks, you didn't call..._

Danny wandered through the crowd with his camera, taking photos of some of the cultural costumes people were wearing. Jameson probably wouldn't pay for them, but someone else might. He stopped, lowering his camera as someone reading the Amity Park News came into view. "Amity Park fears Ghostly Specter," the headline read. He sighed heavily; he wasn't a criminal!

_Your life goes on without me,  
My life, a losing game,  
But you should, you should not doubt me,  
You will remember my name..._

He moved on through the crowd, snapping a few pictures of Ember before moving toward the buildings around the square where the festival was taking place. He raised his camera, pointing it at one of the statues holding up the balcony and snapped a photo. He moved his camera up to the people on the balcony and snapped another photo. His camera drifted further left.

_Oh, Ember, you will remember!  
Ember, one thing remains!  
Oh, Ember, so warm and tender!  
You will remember my name!_

Tucker and Sam stood on the balcony together talking. He lowered his camera once more, gazing up at them. Tucker was supposed to be his best friend, but best friends didn't take the girl that he knew his best friend was in love with.

"Sam, why didn't you wear the red one?" Tucker asked, rubbing his girlfriend's arm gently. She turned to him, slightly shocked at his words. "It's just that… I wanted to impress my uncle, and he loves red."

Sam smiled, trying to reassure him. "Well, maybe he'll be impressed no matter one. Besides, you think I'm beautiful." And there was no way that she was going to wear any color aside from her work uniform, which she was forced to wear as it was.

Tucker smiled too. "I think you're gorgeous." He leaned forward to kiss her, but she turned away, her smile fading some. She pretended not to notice that he had wanted to kiss her so he gazed down at the crowd instead, spotting Danny staring up at them. "Uh, Sam, let's go inside. I think I left my drink in there."

_Your heart, your heart abandoned,  
You're wrong, now bear the shame,  
Like bad dreams in cold December,  
Nothing, but ashes remain..._

Danny looked away from them as they moved out of his view then gasped as a blue mist escaped his mouth. He looked around, eyes searching for the ghost.

Tucker moved toward the door with Sam, greeting one of the board members. He shook his hand before leaning toward the man. "Have you seen my uncle around?"

"No, I don't think he's coming today, Mr. Foley," the board member replied.

Danny continued to search for the ghost before he finally caught sight of a figure floating toward the festival.

"What is that?" people asked. "That's new this year!" Everyone was watching it and pointing. Some of them were cheering and laughing, but Danny was gazing at it intently, a feeling of foreboding coming over him. Ember stopped singing as the crowd around her began staring up at the thing, and she looked too. Everyone was watching it; everyone was wondering what it was. People cheered as it flew overhead. The figure circled around then flew toward the balcony. Sam began to slowly back away from the edge as it came closer.

An evil laugh escaped the figure's lips, and he fired a pink Ghost Ray just underneath the balcony. The story beneath the balcony exploded, and Sam screamed as the balcony began to tip toward the street. Debris from the building began to fall, and people began to run. Danny took off, ducking under a table, transforming, and taking to the skies. He fired a green Ghost Ray at a piece of the balcony that was about to fall on two onlookers. They ducked as smaller pieces began to tumble down on them.

Sam screamed as the balcony began to collapse right under feet, and she fell toward the railing onto a piece that was separating from the rest of the balcony. "Tucker, help me!" she screamed, fumbling around for something to get a grip on.

"Sam!" Tucker struggled to stand and get to her.

The statue beneath the balcony broke apart, and Sam screamed as the balcony she sat on tilted toward the street further. Tucker had finally made it to his feet, but his gaze turned to the ghost who was floating only a few feet away from the balcony. He had black hair with a white streak down the center, and it was pointed in horns. His eyes glowed red, and his outfit was a white jumpsuit with a cape lined with red.

"Out, am I?" he shouted at the board members still on the balcony before tossing a glowing pink ball of ectoplasm toward them. It went off, and they disintegrated, leaving only ash in their place.

Tucker made his way to Sam, calling her name, but his journey was cut short as a large piece of the building hit him on the head. He fell to the ground, knocked out cold. Sam stared at him for a moment then turned her gaze to the ghost who had just flown up beside her.

"Hello, my dear." He grinned, revealing pointed teeth, and she screamed.

"Look, it's Danny Phantom!" some said, pointing to the sky.

Sure enough, a familiar black and white blur sped toward the other ghost and shot him out of the air. The ghost fell into one of the tents, collapsing it. A piece of debris hit one of the balloons, and it popped, knocking over a piece of the stage. A boy of only twelve years old stood right about where the stage was going to collapse, staring at it wide-eyed.

"Move, kid!" Danny muttered, crouching on the wall.

When the kid made no move to move, Danny took off again. He made it in just enough time to turn the kid intangible. When the debris had settled, he flew them out of it and handed the kid to his grateful mother. This gave time for the other ghost to rise out of the tent unharmed. Danny shot off to fight the ghost who simply grabbed his fisted hand, smirking.

"Impressive," the ghost said then shoved him back.

Danny flew back with a shout, flying through two tables of food and drink before crashing into a lamp post that snapped and hit an innocent person on the head. The ghost took to the air once more, laughing at the other people's fear before chasing after Danny, firing small Ghost Rays at him as the younger ghost ran. Danny took to the skies to avoid the shots then whirled around as Sam screamed.

"Help! Someone help me!"

She was still struggling to get onto the more stable part of the balcony, but her movement only seemed to lodge more pieces loose, and the statue beneath that part of the balcony gave way completely. Danny flew toward her only to be intercepted by the other ghost who slammed him into a nearby window and began beating his head against the metal bars around it. He lashed out with a punch, turning intangible and phasing through the other ghost before dropping onto the balcony as the ghost elbowed him.

He turned to Sam who was gazing at him with fear etched in her beautiful lilac eyes. "Hold on!" he told her.

The ghost whirled around, preparing for another Ghost Ray, but Danny took a deep breath and let out a Ghostly Wail, throwing the ghost through the building. "We'll meet again, Danny Phantom!" the ghost shouted as he flew away.

Sam screamed as the railing behind her gave way, and she flipped over the edge, falling head first toward the ground screaming. Danny dove off the balcony, tucking his arms in close to him to fall faster. She gasped as he caught her then flew off with her in his arms. She looked up at him as they left the festival behind. His white hair was thrown back by the wind, green eyes gazing intently forward. She clung to him for dear life, smiling some. He had saved her.

He touched down on top of a building that had a garden. "Well, beats taking the subway." A couple that had obviously been having a private, romantic moment leapt up. "Don't mind us. She just needs to use the elevator," Danny said, making Sam laugh, then he moved to take off again.

"Wait!" She caught his arm, pulling him back. "Who are you?" His face looked so familiar.

He smiled, glowing green eyes gazing into her own lilac orbs. "You know who I am."

"I do?" she whispered, gazing at him in awe.

"I'm Danny Phantom!" he said then ran and leapt off the side of the building, allowing himself to free fall for awhile before flying away.

Sam ran to the edge, watching him with an enraptured look on her face as he flew off, whooping in joy. She smiled and kept watching him until he disappeared from her sight.

"Incredible? What do you mean by incredible?" Tucker asked when he talked to Sam later that night on the phone. Danny leaned over to look at his friend from where he sat in the background; Tucker had his back to him. "No, stay there. I'm going to come over." He paused as she replied. "No, I'm going to come over." He sighed at her reply. "All right, fine. Fine. Will you call me in the morning? And… and we'll go and have breakfast, and, um, I want to buy you something." She must have asked why. "Because I want to. It'll make you feel better. Okay? And what do you mean 'incredible'?" Danny couldn't help but laugh a little, silently. "All right, I'm sorry. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs—" He was interrupted as she hung up. He hung up too then turned to Danny. "She's just a little shaken." Danny just nodded. "Look, Danny, I know I should've told you about us. I mean, you know I'm crazy about her." Danny decided not to add the fact that _he_ was crazy about Sam first. "You never made a move, man."

Danny nodded, swallowing hard. "You're right. I didn't."

An awkward silence fell between them. "I-I'm gunna go to bed now," Tucker decided.

Danny nodded, glancing down at the floor. "I'm gunna stay up for a while," he mumbled distractedly, thinking about the ghost he had fought.

"What was that thing?" Tucker asked as he made his way upstairs.

"I don't know," Danny admitted. "Whatever it is, somebody has to stop it."


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

_**A quick note: I'm afraid I've lost all my reviews for this in the movie from charter to hotmail. I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. College is crazy, and I promise I'll have the reviews for the next chapter. I swear! And sooner updates too, I hope. I mean, it's all typed up. I just have to get it on FF.

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**_

**Chapter 6: Plasmius**

Vlad poured himself a drink with shaking hands. He kept blacking out, hearing an evil laugh, and having strange nightmares. He whirled around as the laugh echoed through the room again. "Somebody there?"

"Somebody?" the voice replied.

He gasped. "Who said that?"

"Don't play innocent with me," the voice growled.

Vlad walked around the room, spinning in circles as he made a full search. "Where are you?"

"I'm right here."

He gasped and whirled around, facing the mirror. He blinked, confused. "I don't understand."

His reflection, but not quite his reflection, smirked and walked closer. "Did you think it was merely coincidence? All these good things happening to you, Vlad Masters?" His reflection finished off the scotch he'd poured and threw the glass aside, ignoring the shattering it made.

"What do you want?" Vlad asked, moving closer as his reflection did.

"To say what you won't. To do what you won't. To remove those in your way." He held up the newspaper.

Vlad turned to the newspaper in his hand that he was now holding up. "The board members! You killed them!"

"_We_ killed them!"

"We?"

"Remember? Your 'accident' with the Portal in the laboratory?"

Vlad thought for a moment. "The Portal must have done something to my DNA."

"Bingo. Me!" His reflection grinned, striking a pose. "Your greatest creation. I'm bringing you exactly what you want: power beyond your wildest dreams. It's only the beginning, and there's only one who can stop us… or imagine if he joined us."

Vlad stared at the red eyes of his ghost half. His reflection grinned, baring his pointed teeth as he began to laugh.

* * *

"Danny Phantom… and Plasmius. Plasmius, you like that? Made it up myself," Jameson said, tossing the newspaper onto his desk and turning to look at Danny. "These costumed weirdos all got to have names now." He picked up the phone. 

"Mr. Jameson, Danny Phantom—"

"Hoffman," Jameson said into the phone.

The young man that had just entered said, "Yeah?"

Jameson looked at the phone then hung it up and turned to the young man. "Call the patent office and copyright the name Plasmius. I want a quarter anytime it's uttered."

"Yes, sir." The young man left.

"Danny Phantom wasn't attacking the city," Danny finally managed to get out. "That's slander."

"It is not. Slander is spoken."

Danny stared at the man, unable to believe what he was hearing. "You don't trust anyone, and I think that's your problem."

Jameson looked away for a moment, thinking. He shrugged then looked back at Danny. "I trust my barber." Danny raised one eyebrow, glancing at the man's hair. "What are you his lawyer? Get out of here!"

Danny obeyed, leaving the room only to turn back a few moments later as his ghost sense went off, and something crashed through Jameson's window, throwing the poor man across the room. Danny covered his head as the glass shattered before pulling away to watch as Plasmius grabbed Jameson by the neck and lifted him up. The ghost floated a few feet off the ground, grinning maliciously.

"Where's the person that takes the pictures of Danny Phantom?" Plasmius demanded.

"I don't know who he is! The photos come in the mail!" Jameson gasped out.

"Liar!"

"I swear, I don't know who he is!"

Plasmius' hand began to glow, and he raised it to punch the man. "You are useless, you—"

"Set him down, Plasmius!" Danny's voice shouted from outside the window.

Plasmius threw the man from him, spinning around. "Speak of the devil!"

Jameson stood. "Danny Phantom! I knew you two were in this toge—" His sentence was cut off as Danny shot a piece of ectoplasm at his mouth, covering it like a piece of tape.

"Hey, moron. Let the grown-ups talk, okay?" Danny said.

Vlad grinned then waved his hand, a pink powdery substance floating toward Danny. "Sleep," he commanded.

Danny blinked as he breathed in some of the powder, groaning as his eyelids grew heavy before he finally collapsed. Vlad caught the younger ghost and flew off, startling the people on the streets.

* * *

Danny groaned as he slowly came to. His head was pounding, and he couldn't move. He was leaning against something, probably a greenhouse window fixture on top of one of the buildings. 

"Wake up, little phantom," a voice whispered, "wake up. You're not dead… yet, just paralyzed temporarily."

He groaned again then slowly opened his eyes, feeling as though weights were tied to his eyelids. Plasmius was kneeling before him, grinning. "You are an amazing creature, Danny Phantom. You know, we're not so different."

"I'm not like you," Danny breathed. "You're a murderer."

"Ah, to each his own." Plasmius shrugged. "I chose the 'Dark side' and you chose the way of the hero. They found you amusing for a while, but how long do you think that will last?" He leaned closer, smirking. "The one thing they love more than a hero is to watch a hero fall broken and defeated. In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you." Plasmius shook his head. "Why bother?"

"Because it's right," Danny muttered, attempting to move his arms and legs.

Plasmius stood and leaned against the window, slapping the younger ghost's head, making his head loll over onto his shoulder. "Here's the truth, Phantom. There are eight million people in this city, and their sole purpose is to lift the few exceptional people onto their shoulders. You and I, we're exceptional." He looked down at the younger ghost. "I could squash you like the insect you are right now, but I'm willing to give you a choice: join me." He knelt beside Danny, grasping the young man's chin so he would look at him. "Imagine what we could accomplish and build." He pushed the young man's head away from him, standing. "Or we could destroy, sacrificing innocent lives as we battle in this endless fight again and again until we're both dead. Is that what you want?" He took to the skies, leaving the barely conscious, barely moving Danny behind. "Think about it, hero!"

* * *

The next issue of the Amity Park News held the report of a "frightened" John Jameson, who reluctantly told all about his brutal attack from Plasmius and Danny Phantom. "Wanted" posters designed by the Amity Park News began appearing on every wall and every newspaper stand. They were everywhere. Danny gazed at his photo, the words of Plasmius passing through his mind: _In spite of everything you've done for them, eventually they will hate you._ He sighed and looked away, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he walked away from the poster.

* * *

Sam walked down the steps in a huff, crumbling up the script in her hand and throwing it to the ground. She stomped on it a few times for good measure before walking away. Danny ran to catch her. 

"Hey, Sam! It's me again!"

She turned around. "Danny, hi!"

"How was your audition?"

She sighed, looking away. "They told me I needed acting lessons." She smiled a little and rolled her eyes. "A _soap opera_ told me I needed acting lessons." She shook her head. "How'd you know?"

He laughed a little. "Your mom told my aunt who told me."

"You just came by?"

"I was in the neighborhood, needing to see a friendly face." He smiled. "It took two buses, a train, and a cab to get in the neighborhood, but..." His smile widened as she laughed. "Let me buy you something to eat. The sky's the limit up to… seven dollars and eighty-three cents," he calculated in his head.

She laughed again, shaking her head. "I'd like a cheeseburger, but I'm going to dinner with Tucker. Come with us," she offered.

He shook his head, his smile fading. "No thanks. How's it going?" She looked down. "Never mind, it's not my business."

"It's not?" She looked up at him. "Why so interested, then?"

"I'm not," he denied.

She looked at him, smiling a little. "You're not?"

"Well, wh-why would I be?"

"I don't know. Why would you be?"

He blushed a little, smiling. "I don't know," he admitted.

"I'm sorry you won't join us," she said then looked up as lightening flashed across the sky. "I better run, tiger."

He nodded as a sort of farewell, and she took off down the street as it began to rain. A group of hoodlums standing at a corner saw her and looked at each other. Danny's eyes flashed green as they ran after her, and he slipped into a darkened alley.

* * *

Sam walked on, never noticing that she had an entourage. She glanced back then quickened her pace a little, crossing a street as one of the guys called out to her. She moved to walk down an alley, but one of the guys walked out of it so she turned to the other. That way was also blocked. She broke into a run, but they quickly surrounded her, pinning her against a wall. She gasped as they closed in on her, making obscene gestures and noises. She lashed out as one of the men grabbed her shoulder, pulling off her black trench coat. 

"Get off of me!" She kicked him then whirled around and kicked the other guy.

They both fell, but one of the others grabbed her and shoved her face-first against the wall. Another guy pulled a knife as she cried out. She was just about to scream, hoping someone—anyone—would hear her, but a green light flashed across her vision and hit the guy holding the knife at her. He was thrown back into a building across the way. She gasped, turning around as the other guys were shot away from her then tied up in a glowing green rope.

She stepped away from the wall, watching as a human Danny fought with the men, never noticing the similarity between he and his ghost counterpart. She simply thought it was Danny Phantom. She stepped toward him once all the men were unconscious. He looked at her then ducked into a nearby alley.

"Wait!" she called, chasing after him. She looked down the alley, but he was gone. She pushed her soaking hair out of her eyes, looking around her.

He floated behind her upside down, grinning. "You have a knack for getting in trouble."

She gasped, spinning around, laughing slightly. "You have a knack for saving my life." She smiled, her lilac eyes bright. "I think I have a super hero stalker," she teased.

He smiled, eyes glowing an emerald green. "I was in the neighborhood."

Sam wondered why those words sounded so familiar then she shook her head. "You are… amazing."

He smiled sadly. "Some people don't think so."

"But you are." She stepped closer as he righted himself in the air, still hovering before her. "Do I get to say 'thank you' this time?"

He swallowed as she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. "Wait," he whispered, and she paused for only a moment before wrapping her arms around him.

Her lips met his in a gentle kiss before she slowly deepened it, nibbling on his bottom lip. Danny swore he was going to float away, and he had to get out of here before he did something stupid like tell her who he really was. The kiss seemed to end as quickly as it had begun, and he shot off to the sky. Sam watched him, laughing a little as she gazed up into the rain.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

**_A quick note: This chapter's only slightly shorter than its companions. I figure it makes up for that super long one we just had recently. Wow, it's been a while since I've posted for this story..._**

_**Reviews: hamanor12, Samantha-Girl Scout, Naomi-Yuko, Phantom180, Doctor Shadow, darkbunny92, Serenity the Fallen, PotterPhan21.

* * *

**_

**Chapter 7: Thanksgiving**

The morning dawned peaceful and beautiful. The sky was blue, and everything looked as though it might actually be a quiet day today. That thought was soon cast aside as the sound of sirens filled the air, and fire engines raced through the city to a burning building.

"I have to get in there!" a woman screamed. "My baby's in there!" A fireman grabbed her, pulling her back. "My baby's in there!"

"I can't let you in there," he tried to speak over the woman's frantic cries. "The roof's about to collapse!"

"Somebody save my baby!" she screamed.

"Look!" A young woman now standing beside the woman pointed to a black and white blur that flew into one of the windows, smashing the glass.

The frightened mother stood watching that one window with wide, frantic eyes. She gripped her hands tightly, wringing them together. She whimpered as the sound of something crashing could be heard, fearing the worst. Tears began to fall down her cheeks, shuddering sobs wracking her frame as flames began to slowly overtake that window as well. The glass beside it burst out as flames broke free, and she screamed, ducking her head and covering it as the glass shards flew down upon them.

Another ball of flames exploded, and Danny Phantom flew out of the building completely unharmed and carrying a yellow bundle in his arms. The mother choked back a sob as she ran up to the super hero, gathering her child in her arms and mumbling gratitude after gratitude.

"Don't let him get away!" a police man shouted, running up to grab Danny. "Hold it right there!" He pointed at the phantom. "You're under arrest."

A scream was heard from the building, and someone said. "Someone's still up there!"

Danny and the police man both looked up then he turned to the officer. "I'm going."

The officer nodded, stepping back. "I'll be here when you get back."

"I'm not coming back, chief." Then he took off, heading for the window from which the screams were coming from. He smashed through another window, landing in a room nearly engulfed in flames. "Where are you?" he called out. A ball of flame burst forth, and the person screamed again. "Where are you!" he shouted. He followed the whimpers and cries, catching a glimpse of a person through a charred wall. "I'm coming to get you out of here," he called to the person, moving his way slowly toward him or her.

He reached out to touch the person's shoulder, and the person whirled around the reveal Plasmius who punched Danny, sending him flying through burning walls and smoldering doors. "How predictable," Plasmius said, throwing aside the blanket that had been his disguise and stepping toward the phantom. "What about the proposal I made you? Are you in or are you out?"

"It's you who's out, Plasmius!" Danny shouted. "Out of your mind!"

"Wrong answer!" Plasmius threw up his left hand, and crystallized shards of ectoplasm flew at Danny.

"Oh, great," Danny muttered as they flew toward him. He didn't have time to turn intangible so he leapt up and twisted to dodge the first two then managed to turn intangible for the last three.

Plasmius leapt forward with a cry, punching Danny in the face. The younger phantom ducked as two of the shards flew back like boomerangs and grunted as Plasmius kneed him in the gut. He caught Plasmius' fist and twisted his wrist, making the older phantom twist to the side. Danny shot a Ghost Ray at two of the shards, and they shattered. The third caught him in the arm, and he cried out, covering it with one gloved hand, the glowing green blood seeping between his fingers.

He leaned back as the other two came at him from two different directions, destroying themselves as they collided. Plasmius lunged at him, and Danny's hand glowed as he punched him, sending him crashing through walls. Danny raised his arms to cover his face as sparks and flames darted up then he took off through the window before Plasmius could recover and come after him again.

"No one says no to Plasmius!" the ghost shouted.

* * *

In the elevator up to the boy's apartment, Vlad was recovering from Plasmius' take-over of his body. Inside the apartment, Tucker was frantically cleaning up while Sam and Maddie were cooking. Jazz couldn't make it home for the holidays. Her schooling simply wouldn't allow it. Sam was holding the candied yams, sniffing their sweet aroma. She was wearing the red dress that Tucker had wanted her to wear before.

"Sam, will you stop goofing around!" Tucker said, carrying old newspapers to the trash.

"Tuck', relax," she said, smiling at him as she moved to set the yams on the table.

The buzzer sounded, and Tucker paled. "He's here!"

Maddie pulled the turkey out of the oven and shut the appliance, setting the turkey on the stove. "Are you ready?" she asked Tucker, hand on the doorknob.

"Uh, yeah," the young man replied, nervously dusting off his clothes.

Maddie opened the door, and Vlad smiled as he walked in. "Hello, Maddie, darling." He took her hand in his and kissed it. "I'm sorry I'm late. Work was murder." He held out the wrapped package in his hands. "I picked up a fruitcake."

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Masters." She took the fruitcake and set it aside, making a face when he wasn't looking.

Vlad stepped further into the apartment, shedding his coat. "Why, who is this lovely young lady standing beside my nephew?" He smiled at Sam while setting his coat on his nephew's arm.

"Um, Sam, I'd like you to meet my uncle. Vlad, this is Sam."

"Hi." Sam shook hands with him.

"How do you do? I've been looking forward to meeting you."

"Happy Thanksgiving, sir," she said.

"Oh, where is Danny?" Maddie said, interrupting the moment. "I hope he remembered the cranberry sauce."

At that exact moment, Danny flew into his bedroom still in ghost form. Everyone looked up as something thumped upstairs.

"I didn't know he was here," Tucker said.

Maddie stepped toward the stairs. "Danny? Sweetie?" Everyone followed her. "Danny, are you up here?"

Danny turned toward the door then quickly turned invisible, floating up to the ceiling so he wouldn't accidentally overshadow anyone. Everyone stepped into the empty room, and Vlad moved past Maddie and Tucker to look around.

"I thought I heard something…" Maddie mumbled.

"Maybe something just fell over," Sam said

Vlad looked around Danny's room with raised eyebrows. "He seems to be a bit of a slob."

"All brilliant men are," Maddie argued, protecting her son.

Vlad turned to go, and Danny let out a silent gasp as a drop of his glowing green blood fell from the earlier cut and dripped to the floor. Vlad whirled around as if he had heard it then looked down at the floor. He growled then looked up at the ceiling, but there was nothing. He went to the window, looking out before finally leaving the room.

* * *

Danny opened the front door a few hours later. "Hey, everyone!" The group had assembled in the living room and stood as he entered, greeting him. "Sorry I'm late. It's a jungle out there. I had to beat an old lady with a stick to get these cranberries." He held out the can to his mom who took it gratefully, hugging him.

"Now, everybody sit down," Maddie said.

The group obeyed. Tucker sat beside Sam who sat across from Danny. Vlad sat at the head of the table and shook Danny's hand before he sat. Maddie carried the turkey to the table and set it before Vlad, slapping his hand as he poked the candied yams.

"Carve the turkey, please," she said.

He smiled, barely holding back a growl, and picked up the fork and knife to carve the turkey. She smiled then looked over at Danny, gasping.

"Oh, sweetie, you're bleeding!"

Danny blinked then looked down at his arm. A red streak now covered his pale green shirt. "Oh, uh, yeah. A bike messenger knocked me down."

Vlad stopped carving the turkey, staring at the bloody wound as Maddie unbuttoned Danny's cuff and pulled back his sleeve. "Oh, that looks awful," his mother said. "I'll get the first aid kit."

Vlad stared at the cut on Danny's arm. "H-how did you say that happened?"

Danny looked at him. "Bike messenger knocked me down," he said slowly.

Vlad set the knife and fork down, standing so quickly that he nearly knocked over his chair. "Excuse me, I have to be going."

"What? Why?" Tucker followed him out.

"Something has come to my attention," he mumbled distractedly, grabbing his coat and heading out.

"Vlad!" Tucker ran after him. "What are you doing? I planned all this so you could meet Sam!"

"I have to go."

"But this girl's important to me!"

"Oh, please." Vlad looked at the young man he had raised almost as his own son. "Do you think a woman like that is hanging around because she likes your personality? She's only after the money, Tucker." He stepped inside the elevator.

"You're wrong about her, Vlad," Tucker said.

He turned around, smirking. "A word of advice to the not-so-wise about young Samantha in there: do what you want with her then dump her fast." He slammed the elevator door shut.

Sam gasped, looking away from the door that was still slightly ajar. She looked at the table, biting her lip. Danny sighed, looking away. He glanced over at Sam who was looking out the window with a look of pure anger on her face. Tucker walked back inside, shutting the door. He looked up at the table, and Sam stood, throwing her napkin aside.

"Thanks for sticking up for me, Tucker," she muttered, grabbing her trench coat and shoving it on.

"You heard?" he asked.

"Everyone heard that creep." She walked toward the door, brushing past her boyfriend.

"Hey, that _creep_ is the only father I've ever known!" Tucker shouted. "If I'm lucky I'll only become _half_ of what he is."

Sam rolled her eyes, opening the door. She turned back to the door, smiling sadly. "I'm sorry, Maddie." Then she walked out.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

**_A quick note: This one's a little short too. I had to end it the way I did though. I've got to have you guys coming back for more._**

_**Reviews: Samantha-Girl Scout, hamanor12, katiesparks, Sapphire Wolf Master.

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**_

**Chapter 8: Admitting Feelings**

"I can't attack Danny," Vlad whispered, staring into the fire.

"Yes, you can," Plasmius' voice hissed in his mind. "Danny Phantom may be all but invincible, but Fenton only needs some… instruction."

"What do I do?" Vlad asked, turning away from the fire.

"Instruct him in the ways of loss and pain. Make him wish he were dead then grant his wish."

Vlad knelt on the ground before the fire. "How?"

"The cunning warrior attacks neither body nor mind."

Vlad nodded. "His heart," he whispered. "Attack his heart."

* * *

Maddie sat in her room, flipping through photo albums of the old days, smiling and gently stroking a photo of she and Jack when she was pregnant with Danny. She screamed and covered her head as the window exploded, throwing glass, wood, and plaster everywhere. She looked up, screaming as she gazed into the glowing red eyes of Plasmius.

Danny pushed open the door of the hospital, walking quickly down the stark-white hallway. He broke into a run as he heard his mom crying and moaning. "Mom!" He ran to her side, grasping her hand. "What happened? Is she going to be okay? What happened?"

"She's going to be fine," the nurse said, pushing him away. "You need to leave right now."

"Those eyes!" Maddie cried. "Those evil red eyes!"

Danny was only dimly aware of the nurse pushing him out of the room before he found himself leaning against the opposite wall, eyes gazing without seeing. "He knows who I am," he whispered. Suddenly, nothing felt safe.

When Danny was finally allowed to see her, he never left her side, gazing at her sleeping face. He reached forward and grasped her hand in his, barely holding back tears. He had lost his dad because of his powers. Was he going to lose his mom too?

"I'm sorry," Danny whispered, a tear trailing down his cheek.

* * *

"Is she going to be okay?" Sam whispered, stepping to Maddie's side.

"She's going to be fine. She's been sleeping all day." Danny managed a weak smile. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course," she said, rubbing his arm.

They were silent. "How are you?" he asked. "I mean, are you okay about the other night?"

She nodded, smiling. "I'm fine. I just feel bad about walking out on Maddie like that."

"Did you talk to Tucker?"

She shook her head. "He called me, but I didn't call him back." She picked up the flowers she had brought then set them down again. "You see, I think I'm in love with someone else."

His eyes widened in surprise. "You are?"

"It's not the right time to talk about this…"

"No, go on. Would I know his name?" He sat down in a chair, urging her to sit across from him.

She laughed, sitting across from him. "You'll think I'm a stupid little girl with a crush."

He smiled. "Trust me."

She shook her head. "It's funny. He's saved my life twice, and I've never even seen his face."

He almost started laughing but simply rolled his eyes. "Oh, _him_."

"You're laughing at me!" she said, slapping his hand.

"No, no. I'll admit, he is pretty cool." That was definitely an ego boost.

"Do you think all those terrible rumors about him are true?"

"No, not Danny Phantom. I kind of know him; I'm his unofficial photographer."

She leaned forward. "Has he mentioned me?"

"Uh, yeah."

She laughed a little. "Well, what did he say?"

"Uh, I said… He-he asked me what I thought about you."

"And what did you say?"

"Um, I said, uh, Phantom, the thing about Sam is when you look in her eyes and she's looking back in yours, everything feels not quite normal because you feel stronger and weaker at the same time. You feel excited and, at the same time, terrified. The truth is, you don't know what you feel, except you know what kind of man you want to be. It's as if you've reached the unreachable and you weren't ready for it," he said slowly.

She blushed a little, smiling. "You said that?"

"Oh, yeah, uh, something like that." He nodded, looking at the ground. Neither noticed that Maddie was watching them with a smile on her lips before she closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.

Sam reached out and took Danny's hand in hers, smiling when he looked up at her. The door opened, and Tucker stepped in. Danny and Sam quickly pulled away, but they knew Tucker had seen. The silence was awkward, and Sam looked out the window while Danny looked at his friend.

"Hey," he said.

* * *

Tucker stormed into the Masters Mansion, stopping when he heard an evil laugh. "Vlad?" He ran up the stairs. "Vlad, is that you?"

He walked into the study, and Vlad looked up. "What is it?"

Tucker sighed. "You're right about Sam. You're always right. She's in love with Danny."

His eyes flashed red for a moment, but his nephew didn't notice. "Fenton?" he whispered. "And how does he feel about her?"

Tucker rolled his eyes. "He's loved her since the first grade. He pretends like he doesn't, but there's no one Danny cares for more."

Vlad sighed. "I'm sorry. I haven't always been there for you, have I Tucker?"

The young man blinked. "Well, you're busy. You're an important man. I understand that."

Vlad shook his head. "That's no excuse. I've been a terrible father-figure, but I'm going to make it up to you. I'm proud of you, Tuck'." He nodded, walking toward his nephew. "I'm going to rectify certain inequities."

For the first time that Tucker could remember, his uncle hugged him, and Tucker actually felt loved.

* * *

Danny felt something ruffling his hair, and a voice was whispering, "Wake up, sweetie. Wake up." He groaned and lifted his head off his textbook, looking blearily into his mother's blue green eyes. "Go home, Danny. You look awful."

He smiled. "And you look beautiful."

She laughed softly. "Well, thank you sweetie." She ruffled his hair again. "You do too much: college, a job, spending all this time with me. You're not Superman, you know." He chuckled slightly. She didn't even realize just how funny that actually was. "A smile, finally. I haven't seen one of those on your face since Sam was here."

He gaped at her. "You were supposed to be asleep!"

She smiled and patted his hand. "You were about six years old when Sam moved in next door. When she got out of the car and you saw her for the first time, you grabbed my hand and said, 'Mommy, Mommy, is that an angel?'"

He stared at her. "I actually said that?"

She nodded. "You sure did."

"Well, Tucker's in love with her." He looked away, gazing down at his textbook. "She's still his girl."

"Now, sweetie, I think that's for her to decide."

"But she doesn't really know who I am…"

"Because you won't let her! Would it be so dangerous to let Sam know how much you care?" She laughed a little. "Everyone else knows."

He looked at her, eyes widening. "I'll be right back." He walked out into the hallway, making his way to the nearest payphone. He hurriedly threw in a quarter and dialed Sam's number. He got the answering machine. "Sam, it's Danny. You there?" He sighed when he didn't get an answer. "Well, I'm just calling to… to check up on you. Will you call me when you get in? Don't… don't wander around in the dark." He pulled his ear away from the phone as a screeching noise reached his ears. "Hello?"

An evil laugh came from the other line instead of the voice he had hoped to hear. "Can Phantom come out to play?" Plasmius asked.

"Where is she?" Danny demanded, eyes flashing green.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimer: See Chapter 1**_

**_A quick note: I'm so sad to see this story end, but the good thing is I can start on Danny Phantom 2 now! Yay! And just so you all know, I got in "trouble" with my college Spanish teacher because I was working on this instead of watching some stupid review video. I already took Spanish 1! I don't need to retake it when I'm supposed to be in Spanish 2! That's what I signed up for, for crying out loud! And what I mean by in "trouble," is you can't really get into trouble with college teachers. You signed up for the classes, you paid for them. If you're not paying attention, it's your own fault. But he still gave me a talking to as if he was a high school teacher. He's from Columbia though, so it might be part of his culture._**

_**Reviews: dark magician girl91, xXxdark alchemistxXx, acosta perez jose ramiro, darkbunny92, PotterPhan21, Raidon Phantom, Sapphire Wolf Master, Samantha-Girl Scout, hamanor12.**_

**Chapter 9: Choose**

Sam woke slowly, groaning. Her head ached. She sat up slowly, glancing around her. Where was she? She stood, stepping back then gasped as she nearly fell off the edge of the platform she stood on. She quickly pulled away, staring down at the cars speeding below her. She was standing on the Amity Park bridge! She ran to the side of the platform, looking down. A sound attracted her attention, and she ducked as Plasmius flew over her head. He flew over to a trolley making it's way across a wire attached to the bridge.

"Cool!" the children inside shouted, running from window to window to watch him fly past them.

Plasmius ignored them, firing a Ghost Ray at the trolley station. It exploded in a ball of flames. Cars on the bridge swerved and created an accident blocking the entire bridge. Danny flew forward as fast as he could, landing on a building to catch his breath. He gazed at the bridge with wide eyes. What had Plasmius done?

The children inside the trolley screamed as the machine shook, and the wire holding the trolley up snapped from the explosion. Plasmius caught the wire as the vehicle began to fall, laughing wickedly as he flew up to the platform where Sam stood. Danny took a deep breath then sped on to meet the ghost.

"This is why only fools are heroes!" Plasmius shouted down at him as Danny landed on a platform just below them. "You never know when some lunatic will come along with the sadistic choice: let die the woman you love," Plasmius looked to Sam who was struggling in his grasp, screaming and looking down at the water below her, "or suffer the little children." His gaze turned to the trolley where the children inside were screaming for Danny to save them. "Make your choice, Danny Phantom and see how a hero is rewarded!"

"Don't do it, Plasmius!" Danny shouted desperately.

"We are who we choose to be. Now choose!" He released the wire and Sam.

"No!" Danny cried as both of them began to plummet toward the river.

He ran to the other side of the platform, taking a leap and catching Sam from the air. He threw out his ectoplasmic rope, managing to catch a part of the bridge. He swung across and caught the wire, stopping the trolley from its fall. Danny grunted as the rope began to tear, causing them all to drop a little further toward the water.

Sam screamed as Plasmius took off and circled around them. "He's coming back!"

"We're going to bring the barge under you!" a voice shouted up to them, and as they had promised, they began to steer the barge toward the trolley.

"I need you to climb down," Danny said.

She shook her head, tightening her grip around his neck and shaking her head. "I can't."

"Yes, you can, Sam." He looked over at her then grunted as the rope slipped again. "Sam, you've _got_ to do this!"

She nodded then grabbed the wire connected to the trolley, slowly climbing. She gasped as she looked down then looked up at Danny. "I can't. I can't do it!"

"Yes, you can!" He looked up as Plasmius flew toward them. "Hang on, Sam!" He grunted as Plasmius punched him but managed to hold on to the rope and the wire.

Sam and the children were jostled around, but neither of them fell. Plasmius swung back around, his hand glowing before he punched Danny square in the jaw. Danny fell back, flipping in the air. He released the wire but kept a tight hold on the rope. Once he righted himself, he grabbed the wire again. Sam lost her grip as the wire ceased moving again and fell toward the river, managing to grab the side of the trolley.

"He's not going to make it!" one of the men on the barge said.

"He's going to make it!" the other said, looking up at the dangling trolley and the fumbling girl. "He's got to…"

Danny grunted as he slowly lowered the trolley onto the barge. The people on the bridge had begun throwing things at Plasmius, distracting the ghost for the moment. The children piled out of the trolley and crowded onto the barge to watch Danny. Sam also stood in the crowd watching.

"Phantom, watch out!" Sam cried as Plasmius flew at the ghost boy.

Danny released the rope just as Plasmius spun around him and punched him in the gut, knocking the air out of him. Plasmius grabbed the ghost boy's arm and flew away with him while the citizens of Amity Park watched their hero get torn away from them by the enemy.

Plasmius spun around and threw the younger ghost into an old, abandoned warehouse. Disintegrating walls collapsed around him as he smashed right through them before falling to the ground with a thud. Danny's powers gave out and returned him to human form. He groaned and struggled to get to his feet, but Plasmius set one foot on his back, shoving the poor ghost boy back into the ground.

"If you hadn't saved her, your little girlfriend's death would have been easy, but now it's going to be slow and painful." He grinned down at the young man under his foot. "Sam and I are going to have one hell of a time!"

Danny growled, eyes flashing gold. He shot up, catching Plasmius off guard and managed to knock the other ghost into a wall. He returned to ghost form, firing a Ghost Ray at the man and knocking him into yet another wall. Danny grabbed Plasmius by his collar and threw him across the room then went after him, grabbing him by his neck and preparing to punch him in the face, his hand glowing.

"Danny! Don't, stop! Please!" Plasmius cried. A ring appeared at his head and moved down his body to reveal—

"Vlad," Danny whispered, staring at the man in horror. He stepped away from him, shaking his head as he too returned to human form. "But those people… You hurt all those people!"

"No, it wasn't me!" Vlad said, pleading with the young man.

"You hurt my mom; you tried to hurt Sam…"

"It was Plasmius! I don't have any control when he takes over! Don't let him take me again!" He stumbled toward the young man. "I've always been like a father to you, Danny… Be a son to me now. Help me!"

Danny shook his head. "I had a father. His name was Jack Fenton."

Vlad growled, his pleading face changing to a scowl. "God speed, Danny Phantom!" He threw a crystallized shard of ectoplasm at the ghost boy.

Danny ducked, and Vlad's mouth fell open as the shard sped back around and came toward _him_ instead. It caught him between the ribs, and he let out a strangled gasp, stumbling back against the wall with both hands covering the bleeding wound. Crimson blood flowed freely between his fingers. He slumped against the wall, looking at the wound before looking up at Danny who was staring up at him in shock.

"Danny, don't tell Tucker," he breathed, then slumped to the ground dead.

Danny stared at Vlad's motionless body then bowed his head, closing his eyes as a tear trailed down his cheek.

Tucker whirled around as a noise was heard in Vlad's bedroom. "Vlad?" He walked into the room then gasped. Danny Phantom turned from where he stood beside Vlad's bed, having set the dead man upon it. "Get away from him!" Tucker grabbed a gun from the desk and pointed it at… nothing.

He glanced around the room; Danny Phantom was gone. He walked over to his dead uncle, choking back a sob. The ghost boy would pay for this!

The funeral of Vlad Masters was small. He had few friends and no family. Danny and Sam stood just to the side of Tucker as the preacher spoke over Vlad's grave. When he was finished, the people began to walk away. Danny stepped up to Tucker and set a hand on his shoulder, and the other young man looked over at him.

"I'm so sorry," Danny said. "I know what it's like to lose someone."

"I didn't lose him. He was stolen from me." Tucker looked up at his best friend. "Phantom will pay for killing him," he whispered. "I swear on my uncle's grave: that ghost boy will pay." Danny smiled weakly; if only Tucker knew the truth. "Thank God for you, Danny. You're the only family I have now."

Tucker moved to thank the other people that had come, shaking their hands, and Sam stood beside Vlad's casket, setting a single white rose upon the black box. Danny watched all as if he wasn't really there before walking away, following a familiar path to a familiar grave. He gazed down at the tombstone for Jack Fenton.

_No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, the ones I love will always be the ones who pay._

He turned at footsteps, and Sam smiled sadly as she walked up to him and hugged him. "You must miss him so much," she whispered.

"It's been so hard, without him," he admitted, hugging the girl tightly.

She stepped back, keeping one hand on his shoulder. "There's something I've been wanting to tell you. When I was up there and I thought I was going to die, there was only one person that I was thinking about, and it wasn't who I thought it'd be. It was you, Danny." She smiled nervously. "I kept thinking, 'I hope I make it through this, so I can see Danny Fenton's face one more time.'" She reached up and gently touched his cheek, and he smiled. "There's only one man who's always been there for me." She stepped close to him again. "There's only one man who makes me feel… like I'm more than I ever thought I could be. I'm just…me, and that's okay. The truth is, I love you, Danny. I love you so much." She kissed him.

_All I wanted was to tell her how much I loved her._

He shook his head when the kiss ended. "I can't," he whispered.

She laughed a little. "You can't? You can't what?"

"Tell you… everything. I mean, there's so much to tell."

"Yeah, there's so much to tell," she whispered.

"I want you to know that I will _always_ be there for you," he whispered. Her smile faded as she gazed at him. "I will always be there to take care of you. I promise you that." He managed a smile before choking out, "I will always be your friend."

She glanced down, trying to smile. "Only a friend, Danny Fenton?"

He smiled sadly. "That's all I have to give."

Sam swallowed and closed her eyes, a tear trailing down her cheek. Her hand fell from his cheek as she realized the harsh truth of his words. He stepped away from her, walking away. A small sob wracked her frame then she stopped, reaching up and touching her lips before turning to look at Danny's retreating form.

_Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: With great power comes great responsibility. This is my gift, my curse. Who am I? I'm Danny Phantom!_

_**The End**_

_**The story continues in Danny Phantom 2…**_


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